Help with resistance please

[Chris]

Looking for some help please.

Ty is right into playing tug, real GSD police dog type kill the toy throw the head and body from side to side. Before NDT he'd run in circles beating himself with the toy. He doesn't do that so much now and brings to for me to tug with him. He's getting heaps better at jumping up on me and letting me tug and praise him.

Were my problem is, we have a big tug, let him win, maybe some more tugs etc then I ask for a 'drop' so I can throw it. While he stays in drive this is great for 4-5 times then suddenly this resistance appears (like a wall between us) and when I ask for a drop, he suddenly walks backwards away from me, looks away and sometimes whines. Sometimes if I get on the ground he'll come to me and I push him away a few times and he'll be pushing into me with the toy to tug then he'll often drop OK, I also sometimes get a 'hup' out of him to start tugging again and then can maybe get a drop from him. Sometimes the resistance is too 'strong' and I can't get through to him, if I run away he may follow but stays just out of touch. Sometimes just praising him means he pushes in again to tug but will not always drop the toy.

I've tried two toys but he has no interest in two at all. If Zeke my older dog is lying down chewing on his toy and I call him over for a gentle tug then Ty's back in the game and we're off again for a while.

There must be something I'm doing to set this off but for the life of me I can't see what it can be, if I ignore him and sit and wait he just sits and waits as well.

Should I just tug and not ask for a 'drop' or should I do less tugging? Thanks for any ideas.

[Sang]

Question for you Chris. Do you spend any time during the tug sessions just relaxing and massaging Ty while he's got the bite, or are your tug sessions always high energy and high drive without moments of relaxing and calming. Do you praise him at all in a sweetie pie, prey like voice and tone when he's got the bite in his mouth?

Also, did you ever "force" him to give up the toy when he was younger? Not that you used force, but did you ever just take things away from him?

For now, I wouldn't ask for a drop, since that's triggering his feeling of resistance. I would continue to just let him win for now, and praising him for winning.

The head thrashing from side to side is actually a sign of incoherent energy, and a sign of a block. When he's completely open and in alignment with you, his bite should be strong and focused, without all the thrashing around. The sweetie pie, prey like voice and tone while he has the toy in his mouth, will start to soften that resistance. He'll start to feel more attracted to you, and give the toy credit for that feeling of resistance instead of you. He'll start to feel that you're on his side so to speak. Once he can get into alignment with you in that way, he should start feeling less resistance to you in those charged moments, and his feelings of resistance should start turning into a feeling of attraction.

And btw Chris, if I haven't mentioned it before, your dogs are gorgeous

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Sang

Question for you Chris. Do you spend any time during the tug sessions just relaxing and massaging Ty while he's got the bite, or are your tug sessions always high energy and high drive without moments of relaxing and calming. Do you praise him at all in a sweetie pie, prey like voice and tone when he's got the bite in his mouth?

Not a lot of relaxing and massage really, mostly all high energy. He's always been such a high energy dog I think I'm still in the habit of go,go with him. I do praise him when he's got the bite but whether it's that 'sweetie pie' I'm not so sure something I need to take better note of and work on I think.

Originally Posted by Sang

Also, did you ever "force" him to give up the toy when he was younger? Not that you used force, but did you ever just take things away from him?

For now, I wouldn't ask for a drop, since that's triggering his feeling of resistance. I would continue to just let him win for now, and praising him for winning.

Sadly yes the old dog club method of finger in the mouth to make him drop hence where the resistance is coming from I'll just work on letting him win and the praise for now.

Originally Posted by Sang

The head thrashing from side to side is actually a sign of incoherent energy, and a sign of a block. When he's completely open and in alignment with you, his bite should be strong and focused, without all the thrashing around. The sweetie pie, prey like voice and tone while he has the toy in his mouth, will start to soften that resistance. He'll start to feel more attracted to you, and give the toy credit for that feeling of resistance instead of you. He'll start to feel that you're on his side so to speak. Once he can get into alignment with you in that way, he should start feeling less resistance to you in those charged moments, and his feelings of resistance should start turning into a feeling of attraction.

Thank you so much that is so helpful and helps me understand his actions so much better. I'll work on the voice and tone.

Originally Posted by Sang

And btw Chris, if I haven't mentioned it before, your dogs are gorgeous

Thank you.

And love your 'Honor the Dog', SO pleased you've decided write and share your journey.

Thanks again for your help.

[Sang]

Originally Posted by Chris

And love your 'Honor the Dog', SO pleased you've decided write and share your journey.

Thanks again for your help.

Thanks Chris! It's a work in progress, kind of like my life